Bryan Waits on Word on Border Youths as Residents Protest Their Potential Arrival

By Steve Fullhart&nbsp|&nbsp

Posted: Mon 5:43 PM, Jul 07, 2014&nbsp|&nbsp

Updated: Mon 7:11 PM, Jul 07, 2014

Federal officials have been considering the old Army Reserve Center in Bryan as one of a number of sites to temporarily house youths who have recently crossed the border. Now, protesters are lining up outside the facility to make their opinions known.

Numbering, they say, about a dozen at this time, the group has vowed to stay outside the facility 24/7 as long as there's a question about the Central American children coming to Bryan, young people they say they feel sorry for, but believe should be moved back to their country instead of to here.

"How about we address the problems we have at home for once? How about we actually take care of what's already on our plate without adding a whole lot more to it," said the group's organizer, who did not want to be named. "We've addressed so many humanitarian crises on everybody else's soil that we've neglected the humanitarian crises here."

Bryan Mayor Jason Bienski has stated his displeasure with the idea, although it's largely out of his hands because the facility is currently owned by the federal government.

"As the mayor of Bryan, I don't think it is the City of Bryan's responsibility," he said on "First News at Four" Monday. "It's a federal issue. It could even be a state issue, but this property we've been working on many years to re-purpose."

Even though the city has been looking at options for the building located at Carson Street and Bomber Drive, Bienski says there is a reverter clause in the agreement between the Army and the city that would bring the building back to city control eventually. However, at this time, Bienski questions the condition of the building considering it has been vacant.

The mayor believes the city will hear something from the government this week regarding whether the youths will be brought to the area from the border.

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